Illinois - Nude Paintings

The Greek myth of Medea, the enchantress who helped Jason, leader of the Argonauts, obtain the magical Golden Fleece, is a classic story of betrayal and vengeance. Like many Greek myths, this one too has a tragic ending. She was of divine descent and had the gift of prophecy and married Jason. Theirs's was a passionate beginning but when Jason found another, Medea made the ultimate sacrifice by killing the children the two shared. Jason, Medea and the Golden Fleece is one of the oldest myths of a hero's quest. Gibbons portrays the hero as a bare-chested god with a halo of roses and gold. The Heroine is portrayed with a golden crown and an aura of golden rays surrounding her. His soft features and partially opened lips and her sultry gaze add to the sensuousness of their passionate love affair. The paintings are framed in a simple walnut wooden frames measuring 21.5 x 17.5 inches each. Richard Gibbons Jason and Medea...

A Striking Surrealist Abstract 1950s Mid-Century Modern Interior Scene "Seated Nude with Mirror" by Notable Chicago Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). Oil on Masonite, dating fr...

This painting captures a moment of reckoning—the body collapsing toward the earth, fists clenched in a visceral acknowledgment of defeat. The figure’s surrender is both physical and ...

A nude female reclines on an overstuffed chair, her hand raking through her hair. Beside her sits a tabby cat, thoroughly involved in its own hygiene. Another cat in the bottom lef...

A Vibrant, Mid-Century Modern 1960s Studio Interior Scene of a Standing Female Nude by Notable Woman Artist, Vivian Kinsley Chapin (Am. 1909-1984). Very "Mod" in style and appearanc...

Andrew S. Conklin Lily in Blue Tights on Pluff Chair oil on linen 24h x 18w in 60.96h x 45.72w cm ACK012 Andrew S. Conklin Artist Statement—Motion Capture Studio Series Andrew S. ...

The piece is based in the narrative poem Paradise Lost, written by John Milton in 1667. The author does a self-interpretation of Adam and Eve’s original sin and their later exile fro...

A Large, Sensational Mid-Century Modern Painting of a Chicago Night Club Showgirl. Painted in the 1950s, this is a large, vertical, abstracted portrayal of a standing Burlesque danc...

Using pornography as a vehicle for understanding, Rick Sindt's work explores the discovery and development of queer attraction. Sindt transforms pornographic stills, repurposing them...

Using pornography as a vehicle for understanding, Rick Sindt's work explores the discovery and development of queer attraction. Sindt transforms pornographi...

A Stunning Mid-Century Modern Ink Drawing of a Seated Female Nude by Noted Chicago Artist, Rudolph T. Pen. Completed in the 1960s, this compelling studio ink drawing is executed in ...

A Captivating, Mid-Century Modern Painting of a Standing Female Nude Model. Great colors! Painted in the 1960s, this wonderful "Mod" studio scene exemplifies the abstracted Modern ...

A Large, Dynamic Mid-Century Modern Painting of a Chicago Night Club Showgirl by Noted Artist, Rudolph T. Pen (Am. 1918 - 1989). Painted in the 1960s, this is a large, vertical, abs...

An Exceptional Mid-Century Modern Oil Painting of a Reclining Nude Female Model by Noted Chicago Artist, Rudolph Pen. Painted in the 1960s, the painting exemplifies the stylized, ab...

Using pornography as a vehicle for understanding, Rick Sindt's work explores the discovery and development of queer attraction. Sindt transforms pornographic stills, repurposing them...

Using pornography as a vehicle for understanding, Rick Sindt's work explores the discovery and development of queer attraction. Sindt transforms pornographic stills, repurposing them...

One of the key lessons we can glean from the myth of Sisyphus is the importance of resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity. Sisyphus was condemned to an eternity of ceas...

This is a classically painted portrait of artist and muse by Chicago based artist Andrew S. Conklin. Andrew's passion for Dutch and Northern Italian Baroque painting...

Using pornography as a vehicle for understanding, Rick Sindt's work explores the discovery and development of queer attraction. Sindt transforms pornographic stills, repurposing them into images of intimacy. Rick Sindt Did I Steal You Away? oil on panel 18h x 24w x 1.50d in 45.72h x 60.96w x 3.81d cm RIS036 “This body of work has been crystalizing in my mind for about five years,” says Sindt, “It is the product of reflecting on how the places I learned the most about myself, and my desires, are considered something that sullies a person, something taboo.” Focused on the experiences of gay men, this body of oil paintings depicts moments that range from tender touches to more sexually explicit...

We are privy to a private moment in Bruno Surdo's painting titled "Connected Souls". Her eyes are closed, her lips slightly parted - thoroughly in the moment with her lover. The perfect skin tones are accentuated by the floral backdrop. This intimate portrait is painted with a black trimmed edge therefore not requiring framing however, please contact the gallery for framing options. Bruno Surdo Connected Souls oil on canvas 24h x 36w in 60.96h x 91.44w cm BRS124 Bruno A. Surdo b. Chicago, 1963 EXHIBITIONS 2023 New Work, Gallery VICTOR, Chicago, IL 2021 Ethos + Truth, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Chicago, IL 2020 Realities, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Chicago, IL 2018 Liberation, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Chicago, IL Blood Sport, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Chicago, IL Art on Paper 2018, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Pier 36, New York, NY SOFA Chicago 2018, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Navy Pier, Chicago, IL 2017 POP!ARAZZI, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Chicago, IL Coming Attractions, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Chicago, IL 2015 SOFA Chicago 2015, Ann Nathan Gallery, Navy Pier, Chicago, IL Bruno Surdo: Allegories, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 2014 Bruno Surdo: Respond, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL Modern Metaphors, Rockford Art Museum, Rockford, IL 2013 Bruno Surdo: Revelations, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL Vice + Virtue, Northern Illinois University Museum of Art 2012 Contemporary Realism Biennial, Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Fort Wayne, IN 2011 Bruno Surdo, University of St. Francis School of Creative Arts, Fort Wayne, IN Uncensored, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 2010 Art Chicago 2010, Ann Nathan Gallery, Merchandise Mart, Chicago, IL 2009 Art Chicago 2009, Ann Nathan Gallery, Merchandise Mart, Chicago, IL 2007 Bruno Surdo, Art Institute of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN 2006 Context/Content: Making Meaning with the Figure, University of Arkansas, Conway, AR Creative Imaginings, Mobile Museum of Art, Mobile, AL Bruno Surdo: Cycles, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 2005 Art Chicago 2005, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 2004 Tragedy, Memory, & Honor, Richard M. Daley Center, Chicago, IL Art Chicago 2004, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL Group Show, Arcadia Gallery, New York, NY Drawings VII, Koplin Del Rio Gallery, West Hollywood, CA Armory Show, New York Armory, New York, NY 2003 Paintings & Drawings, College of Lake County, Grayslake, IL The Art Show, New York, NY Bruno Surdo: New Work, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL Art Chicago 2003, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 2003-10 International Show of Contemporary Artists, Chicago Art Open, Chicago, IL 2002 Bruno Surdo: Perception of Appearance, Frye Museum, Seattle, WA Tragedy, Memory, & Honor, Richard M. Daley Center, Chicago, IL Bruno Surdo: Transcendence, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL Art Chicago 2002, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL Tragedy, Memory, & Honor, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 2001 Magic Vision, Arkansas Art Center, Little Rock, AR 1998 Evanston and Vicinity Artists, Evanston Art Center, Evanston, IL 1996 Bruno Surdo: A Personal View, University of Wisconsin, Kenosha, WI 1995 Bruno Surdo: Recent Works, College of Lake County, IL AIDS in Our Society, Loyola University, Chicago, IL Bruno Surdo: Life, Struggle, and Hope, Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, IL 2001 Magic Vision, Arkansas Art Center, Little Rock, AR Bruno Surdo: Dualities of Life, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 1999 Group Show, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 1998 Group Exhibition, Fine Arts Building Gallery, Chicago, IL 1995 Spiritual Inquiries, Struve Gallery, Chicago, IL 1994 Recent Works, The 14th Annual Juried Exhibition for Lake County Artists, Grayslake, IL Go Figure, Figurative Works on Paper, Chicago Printmakers Collaborative, Chicago, IL SELECTED COLLECTIONS The Re-Birth of Venus, Temporary Loan, Fort Wayne Museum of Art Arkansas Art Center, Little Rock, AR College of Lake County, Greyslake, IL Flashpoint Academy, Chicago IL John Robert Wiltgen Design Shoemaker Ruud Collection Julie & Thomas Danilek Michael Vozzella and Mike Silver Benjamin Fernandez Tom Braake Betsy Colburn Michael Diemand & Lor LaRose Michael Staab & Kathy Brock Bruce Leep Frank Tzurect Mary Foley Rosalyn Carlson Mimmy Turney Janet Long Halstead Billy Hunt Carol Galli Myles Kerrigan Honorable & Mrs. Edwin Berman Theodore Gage Northrop Art Museum Past Present & Future Company Dr. James & Peggy Kemmler Salvatore Monastero Nix & Virginia Lauridsen Joel Miller David & Marlene Zerkel Ann & Andy Abel Claudia Rush Marc Miller Leonard Goldberg Lawrence Pucci Howard Tullman Collection Susan & Manny Kramer James Rinnert Richar Interiors Michael & Nancy Colt Khalid Altijir Dr. Joe Grodman Beryl & Jack Gore Larry Wolf & Eric Naegle Chuck Wolandi Jack Schwab & David Sandelin Thomas Kaczmarek Marti Dinerstein Craig & Michael Golden Mike & Jill Rose SELECTED PUBLICATIONS Bruno Surdo: The Method Artist Responds, by Lucia Mauro, June 26, 2014, anitathemovie blog An Exhibition of Exhibitionism: Bruno Surdo’s ‘Respond’, by Carrie McGath, July 1, 2014, The Chicagoist Website, Arts and Entertainment “Inspired Environs: A renowned designer decks out his Loop abode in art and texture” Modern Luxury, Men’s Book, Spring 2014 “Master Class” What’z Up Magazine, Fort Wayne, 2011 ”9/11 Painting will be on Display” Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, 2011 “Illuminated Images” Fort Wayne Reader, 2011 “Two Faces of Beauty” American Art Collector Magazine, Issue #3 and #59, 2006/2010 “Art and Calamity” Art Papers, 2009 “Versions of the Present, Techniques of the Past” American Artist Magazine, 2004 “Living Artists” Crow Book Publishing, Chicago, IL 2004 “The New Master” by Craig Keller, Chicago Social Magazine, 2004. “Tragedy, Memory, and Honor,” by William Hageman, Chicago Tribune, March 28, 2002 “Mural Depicts Tragedy of 9/11” Art Section, Chicago Sun Times, 2002 Review by Dennis Raverty, Art Papers Magazine, July 2001 WTTW Channel 11...

Motion Capture #9 explores the conventional representation of females in Western figurative art yet contrasting it with the contemporary imagery of that subject via computer-based im...

Using pornography as a vehicle for understanding, Rick Sindt's work explores the discovery and development of queer attraction. Sindt transforms pornographic stills, repurposing them...

Artist Zack Zdrale takes a traditional approach to his work although his subjects and compositions place his work in the present. His paintings are imbued with stillness and silence ...

Andrew S. Conklin Paige Seated in White Leotard oil on panel 14h x 10w in 35.56h x 25.40w cm ACK013 Andrew S. Conklin Artist Statement—Motion Capture Studio Series Andrew S. Conkl...

She is the quintessential embodiment of love, feminine allure, and the coming of new life. The goddess Venus is undoubtedly one of the most widely-referenced divinities of the classi...

This young nude figure fully experiences a dream world filled with the beauty of mother nature as noted by their closed eyes and slightly open mouth, seemingly oblivious to the butte...

Oliver Hazard Benson The Blue Knight giclee 35h x 23w in 88.90h x 58.42w cm 1/11 AP OB0032 Oliver Hazard’s paintings are produced directly from his i...

This painting entitled "The Prophet Returns" is semi nude male. His hard chiseled body contrasts with the soft flower crown and halo he wears. It is beautifully balanced on the de...

The figure in this painting is like the popular but at the same time oddly obscure Taoist god called “Longevity Star”. Apparently he was an historical figure born bald and grey like ...

This painting was inspired by Rembrandt's "Susanna and the Elders", especially Simon Schama's commentary on it, and the Me Too Movement. It depicts a vulnerable woman looking at the viewer, the male figure was derived from an Italian fascist sculpture. Rembrandt's painting depicts only one elder. It is assumed the other elder (or voyeur) is the viewer. This painting also contains references to global warming, surveillance capitalism and a thistle. According to the Penguin Dictionary of Symbols, thistles "like all prickly plants are a symbol of the protective belt defending the heart against external harm and attacks". This piece is framed in an ornately carved black wooden frame measuring 25.5h x 21.5w inches. William Krug...

A pillow book was meant to teach a young bride about the art of lovemaking. This rare museum-quality 19th century example is composed of 12 masterfully pai...

Using pornography as a vehicle for understanding, Rick Sindt's work explores the discovery and development of queer attraction. Sindt transforms pornographic stills, repurposing them into images of intimacy. Rick Sindt Without Heaviness oil on panel 12h x 9w x 1.50d in 30.48h x 22.86w x 3.81d cm RIS040 “This body of work has been crystalizing in my mind for about five years,” says Sindt, “It is the product of reflecting on how the places I learned the most about myself, and my desires, are considered something that sullies a person, something taboo.” Focused on the experiences of gay men, this body of oil paintings depicts moments that range from tender touches to more sexually explicit acts. “It was important to me that I only represent what I know,” explains Sindt, “I identify as a man, and I am attracted to others who identify as men. I don’t believe it is my place to speak on behalf of other members of the queer community whose experiences I am unfamiliar with.” “In creating this work, I spoke with men who told me about how they hid magazines when they were a kid, took out P.O. Boxes in their small hometowns to protect their privacy, and learned how to cover their tracks on the internet. These secretive acts become necessary when the need to understand yourself is great, but your world is bereft of representation." Rick Sindt b. 1990, Hastings, MN, EDUCATION 2013 North Park University, Chicago, IL - BFA Magna Cum Laude SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2016 Two Countries, Rogue Philanthropy, Chicago, IL 2013 Tides, Erosion or Catch, Pull, Recover; The-One-Right-Now, North Park University; Chicago, IL GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2016 Are We Not of Interest to Each Other, Uptown Arts Center, Chicago, IL Reinventing Ourselves From Another Point-of-View, Contemporary Gallery at Zhou B. Arts Center, Chicago, IL Collective: Process, Beans and Bagels, Chicago, IL 2015 Collective: for(a)ging, Hammond Art Center; Hammond, IN How We Make It, The Arts of Life, Chicago, IL Collective: One, Albany Park...

Oliver Hazard Benson Dagon Colapesce acrylic on panel 11h x 14w in 27.94h x 35.56w cm OB0106 Oliver Hazard’s paintings are produced directly from his imagination and deals with a mi...

***This artwork is currently on exhibit at the Instituto Cervantes, Chicago until September 2025. If purchased this artwork will be available to ship after September 1, 2025. Contact...

Getting out of one's comfort zone and ending the anxiety by rebuilding the lineal composition, the contrasts of color, textures and even the narrative. This happens just by throwing an impulsive stroke of red paint. While the figure is not in real danger, i.e. actually bleeding, but instead the red paint represents stepping out of one's comfort zone. It means to leave the status quo...

This painting, like each of the paintings in the Purple Dawn series, is based on an earlier work that was lost or destroyed in the course of time. Feeling that I wanted to finish wha...

Artist Statement—Motion Capture Studio Series. Andrew S. Conklin, a native of Chicago, Illinois, is a figurative painter. Conklin's paintings are a product of his direct interaction...

This classically painted figure study demonstrates the artists understanding of the human figure. A study for a series of larger paintings based on motion capture studios. Here the model is placed in a contrived position on a midcentury modern chair surrounded by props used in the motion capture process. Andrew S. Conklin Maro on Chrome & Yellow Vinyl Modern Side Chair, 2016 oil on panel 18h x 13w in 45.72h x 33.02w cm Motion Capture Paintings, Chicago My recent painting series describes the reality of motion capture environments by showing the interplay between female athletes and male technicians. These paintings are meant to explore conventions of female representation in Western figurative art and to contrast this past practice with the contemporary imagery of that subject via computer-based image technology. This project was instigated by a number of things: first, by my abiding interest in depicting the human form in paint, as I find its versatility in a design, its invitation to empathy, and its difficulty, to be something worth attempting to depict with success. In addition, my curiosity regarding the new ways to depict the form using electronic technology seem to challenge to the traditional methods I rely upon, and I wanted to comment on the similarities and differences between the studios of the painters and the technicians. In this way, I aim to continue my investigation into what I see as the contrasting quality of human nature, and symbolically represent opposites such as mind and body, analog and digital, realism and idealism, terrestrial and the transcendent. Andrew S. Conklin is a figurative painter. He holds an MFA from the Academy of Art University, and studied painting at the National Academy of Design in New York City with Harvey Dinnerstein...

Shakti, one of the most important goddesses in the Hindu pantheon, is really a divine cosmic energy that represents feminine energy and the dynamic forces that move through the unive...

This painting, like each of the paintings in the Purple Dawn series, is based on an earlier work that was lost or destroyed in the course of time. Feeling that I wanted to finish wha...

Zack Zdrale (b. 1977) takes a traditional approach to his work although his subjects and compositions place his work in the present. He is mostly known for...

Oberon is historically known as a king of the fairies in medieval and Renaissance literature. Here he is pictured aloft, floating in space, with elongated arms and legs that twist i...

Michael Van Zeyl Silverstone Yellow Jasmine oil on panel 40h x 40w in 101.60h x 101.60w cm MVZ005 ARTIST STATEMENT I'm currently working with figures and portraits and combine human forms with botanicals to explore our relationship with natural elements. Capturing the movement of the figure or an expression of a living soul presents endless possibilities and inspiration enabling me to blend with different themes. I've studied classical methods of oil painting with a focus on the 17th century Dutch Masters. The subjects I am drawn to are individuals with character, athletic figures and blooming floral arrangements with elegance and ethereal beauty. The reference for my work comes from my direct observation of natural day light in my north light studio illuminating and blanketing the form of my subjects. I am fascinated and challenged by the process of transforming a flat, blank canvas into the illusion of dimensional form, atmosphere and mood. That process is usually well thought out but sometimes painted direct and use intuition to complete my idea. Both of these methods present challenges but each way fills the void of the other and opens up the possibility of new visual ideas to meet my objective. BIOGRAPHY For Michael Van Zeyl, portraiture is much more than a one-sided translation of the artist’s point of view taking form in a subject. It’s an engaging visual dialogue that renders a soul in light, shadow and pigment, continuing the conversation for future generations to appreciate. While subtle observation and technical skill are only part of Michael’s gift, his experience has honed his craft to the highest standard. His talents were apparent by age seven and he spent subsequent decades mastering a wide range of painting techniques. In particular, 17th century Dutch and 19th century impressionist styles have resonated with him and surfaced in his own works. His formal training began at the American Academy of Art in Chicago, continuing on at Chicago’s Historic Palette & Chisel Academy and the Art Students League in New York, where he studied with the most accomplished artists who also paint directly from life under natural light. Michael is currently a faculty and board member at the Palette & Chisel and has been the club’s most popular instructor for several years. Michael’s work is already appreciated in many public and private collections, such as the United States District Court, University of Chicago, DePaul University School of Law, Chicago Theological Seminary and American Hotel Register. He has received awards from the Portrait Society of America, The Artists Guild, the Oil Painters of America and the 2014 recipient of the Dorothy Driehaus Mellin Fellowship for Midwestern Artists. EDUCATION 1987-1990 American Academy of Art, Chicago, IL 1999-2000 American Academy of Art, Chicago, IL - Life Drawing & Oil Painting Palette & Chisel Academy, Chicago, IL - Painting & Life Drawing Art Students League, New York, NY - Painting EXHIBITIONS 2017 “Anne Harris...

EVE Description: Oil on canvas, figurative, nude, multi-color, gestural, modern, abstract This painting features Eve, the mother of women, sitting in contemplation in the garden of Eden. Through the use of expressive brushwork, and color, this painting tells a new version of this story from antiquity. Jessica Benjamin was born in Bloomington, IL and graduated from the New York Academy of Art with his MFA in 2014. Her paintings have been featured on the cover and interiors of three albums by Wynton...